07/04/2011, Poker Tournaments

The Guinness Book of Records has finally ratified the longest poker playing lesson that was achieved by Phil “The Unabomber” Laak at the Bellagio in Las Vegas last year.

He now holds the record for the “longest marathon playing poker by an individual” for 115 hours in a single sitting. Laak outlasted the previous official record held by Paul Zimbler in the fall of 2009, for 78 straight hours of playing poker.

It was not until recently that the Guinness Book of Records has officially verified and ratified Laak's record, after a half year wait. In order to prove his record, the player had to provide several documentations, witnesses, media coverage and drug tests.

“I was shooting for 80 hours all along and eventually it came. The obvious next step was to honor the moment by making the most of it. A gambling degenerate by trade this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see what my inner vampire was really made of,” Laak said in a press release.

“It was loads of fun and of course impossible without my crew. This has been one of the most wonderful journeys I've ever taken, touchingly human and beautiful on so many levels. Thanks to everyone who shared in this amazing ride.”

Phil “The Unabomber” Laak is a professional poker player from Los Angeles, California, who holds a WPT title and a WSOP bracelet. At the end of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceeded $2.3 million.